Getting a Handle

A couple of days ago I found myself trapped in my truck, unable to open the driver’s door from the inside. I crawled over the console and exited through the passenger side. Then I opened the driver’s door without a problem. This was one of those times one shouldn’t play around with things one knows nothing about! “Don’t touch” could well be a mantra at such times.

BUT I just had to satisfy my curiosity, so I put my finger in the latch of the door, and it closed. Then I couldn’t get it open, and therefore I couldn’t close the door fully, either. Not knowing what else to do, and already being at the store where I needed to get some things, I gently closed the door as far as it would go, and hoped that no one would notice that the door wasn’t latched.

After doing the shopping I called my road service, hoping they could provide some help. All they could do was direct me to a provider in town. So I politely said ‘never mind’ and called the transmission shop who had worked on the truck. The owner was very nice and directed me to a local body shop north of town. Holding onto the door with one hand to keep it from flying open, I drove to the location and went inside.

“Larry” accompanied me out to the truck as I explained to him my predicament. He gingerly put his finger in the hole of the latch and opened it, and gave me a big smile. Did I feel like an idiot or what? But he did tell me that the handle on the inside of the door was broken, and that if I picked one up at Auto Zone he’d put it in for me. As he went back inside, with me standing there, I told him not to laugh too hard!

So I went to Auto Zone and, wouldn’t you know, they didn’t have any in stock. I placed my prepaid order, with delivery expected two days later.

In the meantime, the parts I’d ordered for putting a solar panel on the trailer arrived. My friends helped me by loading the large boxes into the back of the truck and then into the trailer until installation time. As they were finishing up, the tailgate on the truck wouldn’t latch. To keep it up during the night I locked the topper door over the tailgate. And I had the bright idea of asking “Larry” about it when I went back for him to install the new inside handle.

This morning I slammed the tailgate until it finally did latch, and then I drove to Auto Zone to pick up my order. I went over to “Larry”‘s to let him know I was ready for him to install it. And I asked him about the tailgate. Guess what? He said the handle was broken!!! And I’d need a new handle assembly.

Now, what’s up with that? Is there a metaphorical meaning for me in all this? It’s fun to think about. What am I getting a handle on? Maybe the message is “Handle it!” Or is it about security? I’ll be pondering…

Tomorrow I pick up the new tailgate handle assembly that I had to order. (After checking with Auto Zone – $35, NAPA Auto Parts – they couldn’t find anything in their data base, and O’Reilly – $35, I ordered the part that should be in first thing in the morning.) Then I’ll take both handles to “Larry” for installation in the afternoon, as we agreed.